The Minnesota Vikings’ offseason program featured numerous headlines regarding the progress of J.J. McCarthy, some splash 7-on-7 plays by the revamped secondary, and a new look at the edge rotation without Patrick Jones II. While these are all important takeaways, there are also significant things to be gleaned from those who were less active or completely absent from the initial training camp. Three projected Vikings starters either missed part of camp or skipped over it entirely, so here’s a glimpse at what that might mean for their impact on the field come September.
Christian Darrisaw
While our most recent look at left tackle Christian Darrisaw was the knee injury he suffered in week 8 last season, Kevin O’Connell has maintained that Darrisaw is progressing well. If the coach’s words of encouragement weren’t enough, we also saw Darrisaw return to the practice field towards the end of the offseason training program. With the official injury designation being an ACL and MCL wound, the road to recovery was not expected to be a short one. However, the fact that Darrisaw has returned to the practice field so quickly can only be good news. While it is unclear whether or not Darrisaw will be healthy for week 1 against the Bears, his return will have a large bearing on the success of J.J. McCarthy and the rest of the team, as he was one of the highest graded tackles in the league per PFF last season.
Will Fries
Will Fries, the newly signed right guard, notably missed the entire offseason program as he continues to recover from a right tibia injury. Fries signed a 5 year, $87,720,000 contract this off-season and is projected to start at right guard, replacing the previous starter, Dalton Risner. Similar to Darrisaw, Fries was posting great numbers before his injury, ranking as one of the best guards in the entire NFL. With it being his first year in a new system, it’s important that he gets as many reps as possible in the offseason. However, as Kevin O’Connell pointed out, the team will want to be careful not to rush him back until he’s fully healthy to avoid exacerbating the injury further. O’Connell hinted that Fries may see the field in training camp, so we’ll have to wait until then to get a glimpse at the new right guard signing. If healthy, he will be instrumental to the success of the offensive line in both the running game and the passing game.
Josh Metellus
Fan favorite safety Josh Metellus was in attendance for OTAs, but he hasn’t been a full participant, presumably due to contract negotiations. Metellus is approaching the final year of his contract and is expected to land an extension with the team. Since his previous 2-year, $8,000,000 extension in 2023, Metellus has been a vital piece in Brian Flores’ defense, playing everything from safety to slot corner to even middle linebacker. The physical abilities and leadership of Metellus, along with his versatility, give us reason to expect that the Vikings will do what it takes to get his contract extension worked out before the team reports back on July 22. His role in the defense will be even more important this season with the departure of fellow safety Cam Bynum in the offseason. With the Vikings looking to fill the void in the wake of Bynum’s departure, Metellus is primed for a big season and will be an interesting player to look at as we get closer to training camp.
